2011 Year in Review: Phoenix homeschooling

Arizona homeschoolers are a diverse lot, but during 2011 a number of items caught the attention of the local folks.

Presidential elections are great ways to catalyze the community into conversations and actions. Ron Paul appealed to homeschoolers to join his specially-designed homeschool coalition to work his campaign. Homeschool friendly Mitt Romney began an early campaign in Phoenix.

Personal stories of success are always great hits. Some very young homeschoolers were featured who have done some amazing work for their age. Gavin Lewis works to save the oceans, a passion he has had since age six. (He is only eight now, but has a huge repertoire of accomplishments.) Kenzie Brown, also eight, did a research project to find out if man’s presence has an impact on the amount of rainfall that happens in more concentrated areas. Even homeschool parents can be an inspiration, such as a dad who created a Bible memory game for the Android.

Family values in the media helped the film Courageous become a well-received independent Christian movie.

College preparation gives many families some concern, when scholarships are mentioned, there is an eager homeschooling audience. The Grand Canyon Diploma, designed for public schoolers to finish high school in two years, didn’t raise the bar high enough for many homeschool students, who already may graduate early with college classes under their belts. After a few years of being overlooked for ASU merit scholarships, the AIMS scholarship included homeschoolers for a very small window, which ends in 2012. The Grammar Bowl, which is happening for this next month, is a contest that will net a skilled student $5000 plus a trip to DC and other prizes. Transcript preparation is not difficult, but it does bring moments of panic to some, so help in this area is always appreciated.

Budget saving field trips are great for typically one-income families, and the free museum list hits the mark. Another favorite is the list of free places to eat on your birthday.

The year capped off with a free performance of Handel’s Messiah, and that story is still going strong, showing the value that is placed on the story of Christ and classical music for the homeschool community.

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